Antithesis
APRIL 2 - april 7, 2023
Crossley Gallery

Opening reception: Thursday, April 6th 2023, 6pm-8pm

The Fine Arts Department of Ringling College of Art + Design is pleased to present Antithesis featuring the work of Lexi Schiavone, Pao Chutijawong, Ren Anan.

Antithesis represents the introduction of two opposites put together to create a contrasting effect. Referencing the contradictory aspect of their artwork, the artists push the theme of contradictions through their contrasting and wide variety of media including sculpture, prints and installations. Collectively the body of work displays the removal of self, contemplation, and attempt to replicate the world around them.

Ren’s pieces address contradiction by reconstructing negative emotions such as shame and guilt into well-crafted sculptures. To create his body of work, Ren appropriates historical and cultural Japanese-Brazilian facts, blending it with his own experience with his mixed heritage, and pushing the limits of materials and process to create unexpected outcomes. Pao’s installations contrast the present and past by reclaiming the lost collective memory of Sarasota-Bradenton through the retrieval of archeological fragments embedded in the soil, on the ground and online. Inspired by street art, Lexi’s work comments on life with an ironic or cynical sense of humor. Her work embraces contradiction through literal or satirical metaphors reflected by material choice and imagery. She also addresses feelings of overstimulation with being able to enjoy and experience the present.